Irish News

THAT'S HANDY ANDY

Andy Black, profiled in the March issue of Card Player's Irish News, has landed a seat in this year's World Series of Poker main event after winning a satellite package on his first attempt at PartyPoker.com. Meanwhile, Barry Craig has become the latest big Irish online winner with a $60,000 payday in a multiplayer tournament on PokerStars.com.

NEW DUBLIN VENUE

Amusement City, traditionally known as a slotmachine arcade in the heart of Dublin, has introduced a poker table and is staging daily cash games. Also known as the Oasis Casino Club, the venue has a brilliant location a stone's throw from Trinity College and stumbling distance – probably just as well – from the vibrant Temple Bar district on Westmoreland Street Pot-limit Texas hold'em is the game of choice and, in addition to the cash action, single-table tournaments are also staged. Poker organiser John Kennedy says a second table will soon be introduced and predicts the club could continue to expand its poker operation if initial interest proves to be a reliable gauge.

DIFFERENT LEAGUE

The Fitzwilliam Casino's second tournament league is now well under way. Once again, the league offers €1,000 to the winner with the top-10 finishers qualifying for a freezout game that boasts a first prize of flights, accommodation, and entry to a festival main event in a provincial UK casino.



HOTEL? STADIUM NEEDED SOON!

Field sizes approaching 200 and prize pools in excess of €10,000 were the figures for the Irish Poker Tour's satellite events in Cork's Rochestown Park Hotel. On these occasions, Ken Cockery, promoter of Cork's Macau Casino, and Brian O'Callaghan were the successful players, pocketing €3,000-plus apiece plus their tickets into the regional final. Regularly updated news and information about the increasingly popular VC Poker Irish Poker Tour can always be found at www.pokerevents.ie or by calling (00353) 091 799990.

OUCH, NASTY, OVER, OUT
Kevin Maloney, another player previously featured in Card Player Europe, this time as one of Ireland's brightest young prospects, certainly did not get the rub of the green in the decider of the Paddy Power Irish Open. At the final table, opponent Jimmy Wan failed to notice Maloney had moved all in and decided to make the manoeuvre himself. Of course, under the circumstances, this had to be deemed a call, and the turned-over hands showed Wan's K-10 was taking on Maloney's A-Q; need to know the rest of the tale?



NIGHT SCHOOL
Belfast's Cavendish Club has introduced a beginners night for rookie players. Class starts at 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, and amongst the tutors for the £20 hold'em tournament is former Irish Open winner Ivan Donaghy.



TON-UP FOR STUDENT NIGHT

Dublin's Merrion Casino has seen the numbers for its Monday night student/beginners tournament increase dramatically in recent weeks. The venue is now attracting more than 100 players for this free-entry competition featuring rebuys and top-ups at €10 apiece.



SPONSOR'S HAPPY

Paddy Power Bookmakers, who recently launched their poker site using Tribecca software, have expressed their delight with the Irish Open staged at Dublin's City West Hotel and organised by the Merrion Casino. "The tournament was a feast of poker that exceeded all our expectations and quite a few of our wallets," explained Cormac Barry, head of poker at www.paddypowerpoker.com

"It was the perfect event to launch our website and gave us the opportunity to meet and greet the poker community at large. We learned a lot this year and plan on making the Irish Open Europe's premier poker event in the future." Content for two documentaries that will appear on the Game In TV satellite station and another for Ireland's TG4 Channel was filmed during Dublin's Irish Open.

IRISH POKER TEAM

Plans are afoot to create the ultimate Irish Poker Team, using players drawn from all parts of the country who will have to qualify for their place on the squad, which will go to Russia for the Nation's Cup and other team events. The initial idea is to play regional qualifiers in Ireland's poker venues in order to select teams of 10 who will then take on the "select 10" from other clubs the length and breadth of the country in a round-robin style league competition.



Serial tournament winner Roy "The Boy" Brindley is sponsored by and writes courtesy of www.ladspoker.com.

CARD PLAYER EUROPE ♠ MAY/JUNE 2005 22

rospects, certainly did not get the rub of thegreen in the decider of the

At the final table, opponent Jimmy Wan failed

to notice Maloney had moved all in and decided to

make the manoeuvre himself. Of course, under the

circumstances, this had to be deemed a call, and the

turned-over hands showed Wan's K-10 was taking on

Maloney's A-Q; need to know the rest of the tale?

Belfast's Cavendish Club has introduced a beginners

night for rookie players. Class starts at 9 p.m. on

Tuesdays, and amongst the tutors for the £20 hold'em

tournament is former Irish Open winner Ivan Donaghy.

Dublin's Merrion Casino has seen the numbers

for its Monday night student/beginners tournament

increase dramatically in recent weeks. The venue is

now attracting more than 100 players for this free-entry

competition featuring rebuys and top-ups at €10 apiece.

their poker site using Tribecca software, have expressed

West Hotel and organised by the Merrion Casino.

"The tournament was a feast of poker that

exceeded all our expectations and quite a few of our

wallets," explained Cormac Barry, head of poker at

paddypowerpoker.com.

"It was the perfect event to launch our website and

gave us the opportunity to meet and greet the poker

community at large. We learned a lot this year and plan

in the future."

Content for two documentaries that will appear on the

THE TOURNAMENT

22_RoyBrindley.indd 22 4/28/05 1:11:44 PM